Throwing Out the Baby with the Bath Water--Make sure your "Associations" with other Professionals don't bring you Down

I swear, it was not my fault. In my mind, every closing in which I,or my firm participated, was handled promptly and professionally. We even conducted the closings "on-site" to make it easier for the 30 or so purchasers of the Condominium Units. Toward the end of the process, I started to see what the problem was. The mortgage loan originator, who brought my firm to the deal, and introduced me to the very talented and helpful Realtor whose commitment to this project was total had totally "dropped the ball". Phone calls were not returned by the originator; data was requested from Borrowers two, sometimes three, times for the same piece of paper or information. The level of frustration was high, and I could feel it as I closed successive loans.

The transactions are now completed, and the project is sold out. I often get future business from people whom I have met at closings. There has not been one from this set of closings. I thought my rapport with the listing Realtor was excellent. She and I had spoken about how she wanted to get me involved in future deals. She doesn't even return my emails or phone calls.

It is apparent to me that I have been tossed down the drain by my association with this originator and this lender. Since I was the closing agent, I must be involved with the problem. As most of you know, that is not really the case. My law firm is independent from this, or any other, lender. We review the title, prepare the closing documents and conduct the closings. We operate under a set of ethical rules which are governed by our State Bar Association.

Regrettably, none of this seems to matter to the purchasers or the listing agent. The purpose of this post is not to rant. It is to caution all of you that you need to be extremely careful with whom you associate in your business dealings. Bad behavio, or negligence, on the part of the Realtor, mortgage professional or attorney or escrow agent can drag you down, even if you performed your part of the transaction flawlessy. My late, great father had an expression, "Tell me who your friends are, and I will tell you who you are" It would appear that the wisdom of this truism applies to our respective professional lives as much, or more, than our personal lives.